An earthquake of Richter magnitude 5 releases 32 times more energy than an earthquake of magnitude 4.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Richter scale is logarithmic, meaning that each whole number increase on the scale represents 10 times more seismic energy released. Therefore, an earthquake of magnitude 5 releases 10 times more energy than an earthquake of magnitude 4 (10 x 10 = 100). Since 32 is greater than 10, an earthquake of magnitude 5 releases 32 times more energy than an earthquake of magnitude 4.

An Earthquake of Richter Magnitude 5 Releases 32 Times More